FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Fertility awareness-based methods (FABMs) use biological signals and rhythms to identify the fertile window. By identifying this window (which is not continuous or eternal by the way—humans are not perpetually fertile like rabbits!), a woman can determine if unprotected sex has the potential to result in a pregnancy. For women with regular, healthy cycles, this fertile window can last between 9–12 consecutive days.

The FAM I teach uses two biomarkers to identify the fertile window: cervical fluid and basal body temperature. These two signs are present in every woman still in her fertile years.

Then you need cycle charting even more than a person with regular cycles!

Often, irregular cycles are the body's way of saying, "I can't prioritize fertility and baby-making right now because something is wrong that needs to be taken care of." The most common issues include nutrient deficiencies, overexercise, and hormonal imbalances (insulin resistance, excess estrogen, chronically high cortisol, and thyroid disorders). Charting your cycles is a cheap and self-exploratory way of tuning into your body and narrowing down the root cause of your cycle irregularities.

Fertility apps are, by nature, algorithmic. Almost all "charting" apps use data from their users to estimate things like ovulation, Peak Day, and your fertile window—and if you're using Fertility Awareness to avoid pregnancy, you don't want estimates or algorithms. Instead, you want to learn your own body, which is why the only app I currently recommend is Read Your Body, an app that translates your personal cycle data into an easy and accessible digital format and does none of the guesswork.

There are many FABMs, but the Fertility Awareness method I teach is called Cycle Mapping, created and taught by The Well: School of Body Literacy. Cycle Mapping applies the best rules from a variety of FABMs to create a contraceptive method that rivals hormonal birth control in terms of effectiveness. Cycle Mapping provides clear and standardized rules, which you can learn by taking my class series.

Short answer: Yes.

Here's why: Ovulation predictor kits (OPKs) are designed to detect the surge in luteinizing hormone (LH), which typically spikes a day or two before ovulation. However, most women have fertile fluids DAYS before the OPK gives a positive reading, and since sperm can survive up to 5 or even 6 days in juicy cervical fluid, there’s a good chance of conceiving from intercourse a few days before the OPK says that it's go-time.

I was also a self-taught charter before becoming a certified educator, so I speak from experience when I say that there's more to learn than you think, and having a teacher to refine your practice will benefit you! If you've been practicing for a few years and have plenty of personal research under your belt, then I suggest skipping the class and signing up for private consults instead. I would only suggest the class if you've charted for less than 2 years or are not the type of person to read textbooks and research articles for fun.

As a graduate of The Well, I spent two years studying the latest research in womb health, sex hormones, and feminine self-care. Before The Well, I spent a lot of my free time doing personal research on fertility, menstrual health, fertility challenges, and female physiology. I take my mission seriously: which is to empower women, no matter their background, through body literacy and education on science-backed holistic health practices. I want to make this curriculum accessible, and I'm passionate about making this kind of education a standard of the future.